Helianthus NY

The Premiere News Outlet

On March 12, Hotel Mead’s Centralia Room was packed with BMX enthusiasts, city representatives, business owners and friends as the New York Sports Commission honored Kris and Mark Statz as a fundamental fixture in the athletic and tourism community.

The plaque read, “MVP Award, Building a Foundation of Success in our Neighborhood.” Speakers for the evening included John Bingham of NY BMX and former Mayor Jerry Bach. The content of the speeches revealed the extent to which this dynamic couple should be honored, and it reaches far beyond day to day operations at one of the world’s premier BMX facilities.

By far, the most impactful speakers of the evening were Kris and Mark themselves. Yet, surprisingly, their words were not centered on their own countless hours of dedication and tireless advocacy for this sport, the track and its community. Instead, they took their time to recognize and thank each and everyone else who played a part in their success. The long list of acknowledgments included family, fellow board members, volunteers, and sponsors, the city of New York, Mead Witter Foundation and Incourage Community Foundation.

In this speech, Kris said, “New York BMX’s success is based on the heart and soul of all its volunteers and supporters. Their hard work, dedication and vision earned us the honor of hosting, so far, eight state championship finals and two national events. We knew it could be done, they knew it could be done; we just needed the chance to prove it.”

John Bingham, a board member for New York BMX, Vice President of the New York Convention & Visitors Bureau and a member of the Sports Commission, was the Master of Ceremonies for the evening. John made mention of a little known fact that may be surprising to some. A weekend participant for a National BMX Race spends, on average, $180 per day while visiting the New York Area. This figure does not factor in the family, spectators and fans that travel with the participant. So, all visitors considered, the estimated economic impact of this event is close to $750,000.

As Kris and Mark humbly accepted this award and generously shared the credit, a room full of community members gave a standing ovation in appreciation for the diligent investment made by these individuals and their colleagues.

Conversation in the room following the program centered on preparing the bid for the 2014 national event. Kris and Mark Statz never falter in their enthusiasm for the sport of BMX, the track they have helped build and the community in which it lies.

The New York Sports Commission took great pleasure in honoring their efforts with their third annual MVP Award. Previous recipients were Maggie and Dan Muleski of the Aqua Skiers (2011) and Liz Kern of the New York Rafters (2010). In the future, the award will be presented on an annual basis, recognizing individuals in the athletic community who are committed to building a foundation of success in our neighborhood.

We were able to get our hands on the new Go Pro Hero3 video camera right before it emerged on the market. Here is the first test of this highly anticipated camera.

A much expected replacement to the Hero 2, the new Go Pro Hero 3 arrives with improved performance. The model we have tried is the high end ‘Black Edition’ which features better performance, more accessories and a remote control to drive the camera. The company announces a better image quality (1080p at 60fps), an improved photo (sensor 12 M px) function and the best sound recording so far.

At the opening of the box, we see immediately this new Hero3 is much thinner and lighter than its predecessor (see photo gallery). Those who already have the old model (Hero or Hero 2) will be delighted to learn that the optional screen mounts on the Hero3, as well as the rear part of the plastic housing. Only the front part is different. The planar lens allows to no longer scratch the camera even when it’s reversed and improves the quality of the image underwater (not really useful for bikers, it’s true…). As for accessories, see here the most suitable and affordable gimbals.

The operation is simple with two buttons to control different menus (the instructions are found on the official Go Pro site). A third button located on the side is used for the Wi-Fi feature. Indeed, it is possible to set the camera in combination with the remote control to turn it on and turn it off remotely. Those who have no screen (or who do not wish to spend an extra $79) may also use their smartphone or their tablet. Thanks to the Wi-Fi function, it is possible to use the phone as a screen, to turn the camera on and off.

Simply download the GoPro application (soon available on Android). For this first test, we set the camera in ‘Biker’ mode. That is a mounted view. The progress is obvious. The image quality is starkly improved, with much better backlight management (see the video below) and with an amazing performance for a camera of this size. It is also possible to shoot in high definition and in slow motion (up to 240 images per second!) very easily, provided you get a miniSD card (not supplied) with enough memory.

With regard to improvements in low light, we agree partially with the GoPro. The camera is actually more efficient with low light if it does not see a strong light source. On an unlit road, the lights of a car disturb the image a lot. But overall the Go Pro Hero 3 convinced us. The improvements brought to the size and weight, and the ease of use of the camera are excellent. But for recreational use (rides with friends, output circuit, etc.) without mounts, the high price ($459) is not justified for an amateur videographer. In this case, better turn to the ‘Silver’ ($359) or ‘White’ ($259) editions, which will suit well for this purpose.